2,000 girls in Bristol at risk of genital mutilation

AROUND 2,000 girls in Bristol are at risk of falling victim to an illegal operation that can cause death or serious illness.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision, is widely practised in Somalia, more than 20 other African countries and areas of Asia, South America and the Middle East.

Healthcare professionals, policy makers, educationalists and police representatives attended a day of performances and awards yesterday held at The City Academy Bristol in Lawrence Hill to help raise awareness of the illegal practice.

FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia. It carries the risk of death from bleeding or tetanus, and long-term problems including urinary incontinence, recurrent infections and chronic pain. In some cases, reversal procedures are necessary for childbirth.

Yesterday's event marked International Zero Tolerance to FGM day.

It was hosted by Integrate Bristol and Daughters of Eve, two charities campaigning against the practice.

They estimate that 2,000 girls in the city whose ethnic backgrounds are in countries where FGM is carried out are at risk from the centuries-old practice, and released 2,000 pink balloons at the event to signify this.

Groups of young people from the academy performed specially written anti-FGM songs and a group of young women presented three short films they had made to raise awareness.

Nimco Ali, co-founder of Daughters of Eve, said: "This year marks the 10th year since the FGM Act 2003 was passed, which extended the law to make it illegal for UK nationals to commit FGM outside the UK. But still we have failure not to just prosecute but also to protect girls at risk.

"This year the young people of Bristol will speak out and stand united not only against FGM but all forms of violence against women and girls."

Anyone who knows someone at risk should call the police on 101.

The campaign is backed by mayor George Ferguson and police commissioner Sue Mountstevens.

7 comments

I hope those 2000 pink balloons and singing of songs is really gonna make a difference, man.
Maybe we can resurrect General Napier instead :
-'A story for which Napier is often noted involved Hindu priests complaining to him about the prohibition of Sati by British authorities. This was the custom of burning a widow alive on the funeral pyre of her husband. As first recounted by his brother William, he replied:
"Be it so. This burning of widows is your custom; prepare the funeral pile. But my nation has also a custom. When men burn women alive we hang them, and confiscate all their property. My carpenters shall therefore erect gibbets on which to hang all concerned when the widow is consumed. Let us all act according to national customs." '-

Why should WE condemn this practice when Muslim's don't?
Perhaps we should also condemn the Jewish as well. (or is that a little be too controversial as they are all Obama's friends).
What about the Christians? They nailed someone to a cross and left him to die...
Best thing to do is stop immigration from Somalia and work backwards from there.

The real issue here is that this form of extreme child abuse has been explicitly illegal for a decade, is still going on in the UK, and yet there still hasn't been a prosecution. The police and social services need to take a far more proactive approach, such as intervening when children at risk are taken on trips overseas. They are (as stated in the article) failing to protect those most vulnerable.

Welcome to the wonderful and diverse world of multi-culturalism. A lot of people are very keen to embrace all these faiths, cultures and nationalities - don't start bleating about it now just because it's landed on your doorstep.

The religious aspect of this practice must be challenged. The number one problem is that FGM was not specifically forbidden by Mohammed the founder of Islam. Mohammed seemed to acquiesce to it and implied it should only be done 'minimally'. Therefore a lot of popular Islamic teachers do not expressly forbid it and some leading Islamic UK movements like the MCB are frustratingly silent about this crime and sadly that's why it continues.